Here’s What the Critics Say About Charles Cozens.....

 

"The loud 'n' proud show, aptly titled Randy Bachman Symphonic Overdrive featured two full sets of the Winnipeg-born artist's hits arranged by acclaimed Canadian conductor/arranger Charles Cozens, who also joined Bachman onstage on keyboard.

Many of the orchestral arrangements, arguably, were window dressing for the band, with a few exceptions being a stylized You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, and lushly harmonized string sections during Let it Ride. Takin' Care of Business now guised as a Texas shuffle also closed the two-hour show that also included Laughing, No Time and Undun."

Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press

re: Randy Bachman's Symphonic Overdrive

 

"The ones that I contacted,” she continues, “couldn’t do it but they all gave me the name of Charles, and of course at that time I had no idea he was such a rock star in the orchestration world."

“I feel so privileged to be working with Charles Cozens,” exclaims the Métis vocalist. “I cannot tell you how much I am. I’m hearing the orchestrations on mp3 to give me an idea of what I’m going to hear on the day and he’s remarkable. His scores have been incredible and he used to do musical theatre as well so a lot of the theatrical bits that are in the show he’s been able to help me with. We’re quite the duo at the moment.”

Andrea Menard, Regina Leader Post

re: I am Andrea Menard

 

“The World Premiere of The Magic Of Love, which opened Wednesday at the Lighthouse Festival theatre in Port Dover, proved to be a winner all the way, with an excellent concept, book and lyrics by Elmira resident Bob Verdun, a superb rescoring by Charles Cozens, deft direction from Robert More, and a large, first-rate cast and orchestra. The score, based on Mozart’s original, is a wonder of contraction for the 13 piece orchestra…..In a word, it’s brilliant.”

Harry Currie, The Kitchener Waterloo Record

Re: The Magic Of Love

 

“The blend of swing and step, in the hands of a high-energy, high kicking cast, ranges from charming to electric. Charles Cozens’ skilful mix of standards and original music flows easily….the new sound is born in an exceptionally happy musical mix. The overlapping of step and swing builds into an exciting, well-executed blend.”

Iris Winston, Variety Magazine

Re: Swingstep

 

“A second go-round of Swingstep leads to a greater appreciation of Cozens’s musical score. The composer has written pastiche songs in both swing and Celtic styles, as well as spoken melodrama and modern day ballads. In fact, because real swing-era songs are included in the score, Cozens’s achievement becomes more impressive as his own output holds its own.”

Paula Cirton, The Globe And Mail

Re: Swingstep

 

“I first saw it two years ago in Mississauga. By that time the music had been orchestrated by Charles T. Cozens, a very talented and extremely busy Canadian musician, composer, conductor and arranger. The work was lyrical and the story well told. The audience gave it a standing ovation – apparently a first for the Story Teller Concerts according to members of the orchestra (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony)”

Jeff Mahoney, The Hamilton Spectator

Re: Swingstep

 

“It would be difficult to imagine a more satisfying and pleasing world premiere than that of Botanicus by Charles Cozens. He has an extraordinarily refined ear for texture and instrumental colour; with Cozens’ deft touch it came across as magical.”

Brian Hunt, The National Post, Massey Hall , Toronto

Re: Hannaford Street Silver Band

 

“The sheer thrill of sound that comes from brass can intoxicate. Cozens’ experience writing film scores and arrangements for Swing bands was evident, as well as his fascination with new sounds, such as the toneless sighs and chuffs produced by brass instruments without mouthpieces.”

John Lehr, The Toronto Star, Massey Hall, Toronto

Re: Hannaford Street Silver Band

 

“Bach With A Twist was the concert’s name….Charles Cozens jazz pianist and Bach Twistmeister supreme. Cozens’ hearty swinging of Bach’s Italian Concerto, a piece Glenn Gould cordially hated and thought ought to be swung out the window, was just a hoot of dashing passage work and zinging blue notes.”

“Even better was gorgeously woven jazz tapestry teased from the fabric of the Air On A G String that had the people next to me wondering where they could buy the CD.”

Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator

Re: Charles Cozens – Clearly Classics Concerts

 

“………….by the way, the orchestra played splendid arrangements by Charles Cozens splendidly.”

Stephen Pederson, The Chronicle, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Re: The Nylons

 

“Cozens is one of Canada’s premiere arrangers of all kinds of music, from symphony to rock’n’ roll.”

Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator

Re: The Nylons

 

“Cozens’ hearty swinging of Bach’s Italian Concerto…was a hoot of dashing passage work and zinging blue notes…Even better was gorgeously woven jazz tapestry teased from the fabric of the Air On A G String that had the people next to me wondering where they could buy the CD.”

Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator

Re: Clearly Classics Concerts

 

“Bending the Bows is a feast for the ears…… both Leahy and Minevich are virtuoso musicians and they have selected material – superbly arranged by Charles T. Cozens – with virtuosity in mind.”

Robert Reid, The Record

Re: Bending The Bows

 

“….the world of classical music bumped up against country fiddling and at the same time produced some spectacular results. With more concerts like this one, the gap between classical and mainstream audiences might even disappear.”

The Kingston-Whig Standard

Re: Bending The Bows

 

“Bending The Bows is available on CD and cassette and has been performed with several symphony orchestras. The show is a great mixture of light classics and country favourites. Much of the credit for the success of this show belongs to conductor,pianist, arranger Charles Cozens. It is the latter duties that are particularly important, because he made his five – member combo sound better than ensembles I have heard that were three times the size.”

Bob Verdun, The Kingston Herald

Re: Bending The Bows

 

“Cozens strode on stage and produced one of the most enjoyable Pops concerts in Hamilton Place in a long time. Cozens’ arrangements were superb…… It was a model of how these things should be done and had a very well-filled Hamilton Place audience calling for more.”

Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton Place, The Great Hall

Re: Broadway Today (debut )

 

“Theatre Aquarius’ Christmas spectacle – with words and lyrics by (Peter) Mandia, Aquarius artistic director, and original music by Charles Cozens – is upon us. At a cost of $500,000, it’s a big ambitious entertaining show, with a lively well chosen cast, grand sets, a full sounding pit orchestra….. “

Stewart Brown, The Hamilton Spectator, DuMaurier Ltd. Centre

Re: Peter Pan: The Return (debut)

 

“……..artistic director Peter Mandia and musical director Charles Cozens decided to write their own show. The result is handsome eye-catching entertainment that should please both newcomers and veterans of this classic story of the Christmas spirit.”

Stewart Brown, The Hamilton Spectator, DuMaurier Ltd. Centre

Re: Scrooge – A Christmas Carol

 

”Michael Danso just gets better. The first requisite for success is to have supportive, yet flexible arrangements and this Danso had in some superb charts by Charles Cozens.”

Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator, Hamilton Place, The Great Hall

Re: From Harlem To Hollywood (debut)